Don’t let the name fool you. This family friendly arts & crafts gift shop should be rated “A” for Awesome. Inside this unique store not only will you find hundreds of hand-crafted hooked rugs of all shapes and sizes (along with mats and coasters), you will also find the supplies needed to make these works of art, such as the hooking hooks, frames, wool, and burlap. Various other local hand crafts are also available for purchase. It should be noted that big smiles from the helpful staff are free.
So you may be asking yourself, what exactly is rug hooking?
Simply put, Rug hooking is both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted in a handle (usually wood) for leverage.
The author William Winthrop Kent believed that the earliest forebears of hooked rugs were the floor mats made in Yorkshire, England during the early part of the 19th century.
Now, lets take a walkabout this fine store and admire the treasures within.
If you ever find yourself visiting Nova Scotia, be sure to visit” Proud to be Hookers at Jean’s Gift Shop” in Chéticamp (just before the Chéticamp entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park). You will be awed by the local tapestries and local crafts sold in the shop. Note that “Proud to be Hookers” is only open June to October, Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Now that you have read this POD, if anyone asks you “Where are the best hookers in Canada?” you can answer with the highest degree of certainty…”In Chéticamp, Nova Scotia”.
